Conveyer system



April 14, 1942. E C, LANGv 2,279,573

covEYER SYSTEM .iin 6 n wz. n WC W4 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 10, 194025 F/Gf /7 FIG. 3 e

April 14, 1942. E. c. LANG 2,279,573

f CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed oct. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented pr. 14,1942 UNITED STATES CONV EYER SYSTEM Edd C. Lang, Oak Park, Ill.,assigner to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application October 10, 1940, Serial No. 360,587

2 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyer systems and more particularly tomechanism for effecting a desired spaced relation between articles afterbeing entered in the system .and maintaining such spaced relation duringthe conveying of the articles for subsequent handling in the system.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical articlespacing mechanism, particularly for use in a conveyer system.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention as applied to anarticle conveying system, there is provided an article spacing mechanismin which advancing articles are caused to pass rst between a pair ofrolls driven at a relatively low speed with respect to their movement inthe system and then between a pair of rolls driven at a relativelyhigher speed than A the first rolls and predeterminedly spacedtherefrom. As the articles are moved past the iirsty pair of rolls theyare retarded and this retarding action determines the spacing betweensuccessive articles. The action of the second pair of rolls combinedWith that of the first pair of rolls provides means whereby successivevariously spaced articles, articles in end to end Contact or articlestending to stick together, will be positively separated a desireduniform distance.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appearfrom the following detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig, 1 is a fragmentary plan view of aconveyer system equipped with an article spacing mechanism embodying thefeatures of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Figs. 4 to '7, inclusive, are diagrammatic views on a reduced scaleillustrating relative positions of articles while being advanced in aconveyer system embodying the article spacing mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Fig. l, II] indicates aportion of an endless conveyer belt of a conveyer system. The belt isdriven at a suitable constant speed in the direction of the arrow,indicated thereon, by any suitable means (not shown). The belt IIJ inthe present application of the invention is adapted to convey packingcartons I I, indicated in broken outline, Figs. 1 and 4 to 7, inclusive,along a horizontal guide channel or trough I5. In the particularapplication of the conveyer system, which is iragmentarily shown, thecartons at certain points along the belt I0 are assembled by operatorsfolding up blanks which are held in shape by applying mucilage directlyto the blanksor by adhesive retained strips, the covers being left open.Upon completing a carton the'operator places it on the conveyer belt Iin the trough I5 and at times it will abut a previously depositedycarton, in which case the cartons are very apt to stick together due tothe wet mucilage. In

Y other cases, the cartons will be placed on the belt I Il withoutabutting each other and in varying spaced relation and generally withtoo little space therebetween for proper handling of the cartons at;subsequent points in the system. As the cartons move along the trough I5they may, for example, be selectively directed by deilectors into oneorr more of a series of chutes which deliver the empty cartons to workstations or packing benches. tors, chutes and packing benches is notbelieved necessary, since they form no part of the present invention andare not necessary to a full understanding thereof. In a conveyer systemof the' thereof. Journalled in` a suitable manner in the plate'IGoutside of the trough Walls II are four K vertical shafts I8, I9, 20 and2I each having secured to its upper end a rubber faced roll 24,7

the rolls being disposed a suitable distance above the plane of the beltI0. through openings 25 formed in thetrough side walls I'I and theperipheral portions of -the rolls extend through the openings andarespaced apart a distance slightly less than the widthl of the cartons II, which are moved into engagement Each of theshafts l I87 I9, 20 and 2|has secured thereto a-pulley 26 and crossed belts 21 operativelyVinterconnecting the pair of pulleys' 26 onthe shafts I-8 and I9 and thepair of pulleys 2`6 on theshaf-ts-ZD Y therewith by the belt Il).

and 2|, the pulleys 2li-being of similaridiameter, Secured to the shaftZI is a pulley 28 iwhich f is connected to a pulley 29 on-the shaft I9lbya belt 3|. Also secured to theshaft I9 is (la pulley 32fwhich isconnected to a pulley (notshown) 'by` A disclosure ofthe carton deflec-The rolls 24 extenda belt 33, the latter pulley being driven at asuitable constant speed in `the direction of the arrow by any suitablemeans (not shown).

It will be apparent that with the belt 33 being driven in the directionof the arrow, that the pulley 32 will be driven in a counterclockwisedirection and likewise the shaft |9 and the attached pulleys 29 and 26and the roll 24. With the pulley 29 driving the pulley 28 by means ofthe belt 3|, the shaft 2| and the attached pulley 26 and the roll 24will also rotate in a counterclockwise direction. By means of thecrossed belts 2l extending between the pulleys 28 on the shafts I9 and2| and the pulleys 26 on the shafts IS and 2), the latter shafts withtheir attached l rolls 24 are caused to rotate clockwise. The directionof rotation of the pair of rolls 24 upon the shafts 20 and 2| as well asthat of the rolls 24 upon the shafts I8 and I9 is indicated by thearrows upon the portions of the rolls which extend into the trough i5.Thus, the peripheral surface of the rolls 24 within the trough i5 aremoved in the same direction as the conveyer l5.

The pair of rollers 24 upon the shafts 29 and 2| are driven at arelatively low speed relative to the speed of the belt H) and of therollers 24 upon the shafts I8 and I9. This is effected by having thediameters of the pulleys 28 and 32 relatively large and small,respectively. In the particular arrangement shown in the drawings, f

the operation of which will be presently described, it will be assumedthat the peripheral speed of the pair of rolls 24 upon the shafts i8 andI9 is equal to the surface speed of the belt I0, although this is notessential as long as the peripheral speed of the pair of rolls 24 uponthe shafts 2D and 2| is relatively low as compared to the surface speedof the belt.

In the operation of the mechanism, referring particularly to thediagrammatic views (Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive) and first to Fig. 4, thecarton A, which, in Fig. l, is being advanced by the belt IIJ toward theright hand pair of rolls 24, has been gripped by the latter rolls andits previous rate of movement with the belt |G has been retarded due tothe grip of the rolls thereon, the peripheral speed of these latterrolls, as hereinbefore described, being relatively low as cornpared tothe surface speed of the belt as well as the peripheralspeed of the lefthand rolls 24. It will be assumed that a following carton B, shownabutting the carton A, is adhering to the latter carton due to wetmucilage.

The advancing but retarded carton A, referring to Fig. 5, is just beingreleased from the right hand rolls 24 and about to be gripped by theleft hand rolls 24, at which instant the carton B will be gripped by theright hand rolls 24. The grip of the left hand rolls 24, together withthe conveying action of the belt l0 upon the carton A and the retardingaction of the right hand rolls upon the carton B, effects a positiveseparation of the cartons, as indicated at 34 (Fig. 6). The carton C(Fig 5), which is following the carton B, was placed upon the belt l inspaced relation with the carton B, as indicated at 35, and is beingadvanced with the latter carton at the same speed by the belt, since thecarton B has not been gripped by the right hand rolls 24.

In Fig. 6, the space 35 occurring in Fig. 5 between the cartons B and Chas been closed up due to the retarding action of the right hand rolls24 upon the carton B and it will ybe obvious that the space 34 betweenthe cartons A and B will continue to increase until the carton B isgripped by the left hand rolls 24, at which instant the desired uniformspacing between successive cartons is effected, such space beingindicated at 36 in Fig. '7.

As each carton is gripped by the left hand rolls 24, the desired spacingfrom the previously advanced carton is eected and this spacing ofsuccessive cartons will be maintained during their advance with the beltlll. Consequently, as the cartons approach the deectors and chutes,previously mentioned, they will be spaced from each other a desireduniform distance, thus permitting the cartons to be directed by thedeflectors one at a time into a chute.

It will be apparent that the retarding action of the right hand pair ofrolls 24 upon the cartons being conveyed by the belt |l and consequentlythe distance the cartons are spaced apart, as indicated at 38, may bevaried to suit the particular conveyer system by varying the relativediameters of the pulleys 28 and 29.` Also` the spacing between the pairsof rolls 24 longitudinally of the belt I0 and between the rolls of eachpair will depend on the dimensions of the particular article beinghandled. For the best results, the distance between the shafts of thepairs of rolls 24 should be slightly greater than the length of thearticle, as shown in the drawings, so that both pairs of rolls will notbe operatively engaging an article at the same instant.

It will be apparent that the left hand pair of rolls 24 can be omittedin the case of articles being conveyed where there is no tendency ofsuccessive articles to stick together, since the action of the'righthand pair of rolls 24 upon the articles passing therebetweenwill effectthe desired spacing between the articles.

From the above description, it will be obvious that a simple andpractical article spacing mechanism for use in a conveyer system isprovided by means of which successive variously spaced articles,articles in free end to end contact, or articles tending to sticktogether, will be positively separated a desired uniform distance andwill maintain. such spacing during the conveying thereof for subsequenthandling in the system.

Various modications and applications of the invention will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, and such modifications andapplications as fall within the spirit o the invention are intended tobe covered by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyer system, a conveyer moving at a predetermined speed uponwhich articles placed thereon freely rest during their advance, aplurality of movable means spaced longitudinally along a portion of saidconveyer moving in a horizontal plane adapted to operatively engage thearticles in their movement therepast, the points of engagement of saidmovable means with the articles being spaced apart a distance slightlygreater than the length of an article, and means for operating saidspaced movable means at different speeds, the first of said means withwhich the articles are engaged being operable at a relatively lower rateof speed than said conveyer so that the movement of the articles isretarded, the second of said means with which the articles arev engagedbeing operable at a relatively higher rate of speed than said iirstmeans and the combined action of said spaced movable means causing apositive separation and a uniform spacing between successive articlesinitially variously spaced, in end to end contact, or when tending tostick together upon moving past said spaced movable means.

2. In a conveyer system, a conveyer belt moving at a predetermined speedupon which articles freely rest during their advance, two pairs of rollsspaced longitudinally in pairs along a portion of said belt moving in ahorizontal plane adapted to peripherally operatively engage oppositesides of the articles in their movement therepast, the peripheral pointsof engagement of said rolls with the articles being spaced apart adistance slightly greater than the length of an article, and means fordriving said pairs of rolls at diierent speeds with their peripheralsurfaces at their points of engagement with the articles moving in thedirection vof said belt, the first of said pair of rolls with which thearticles are engaged beingdriven at a relatively lower rate of speedthan said belt so that the movement of the ar- EDD C. LANG.

